NEWS

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Julia Cleeland, Operations Director, Mid & East Antrim Community Advice Service, and Paul Frew MLA at a recent visit to Mid & East Antrim Community Advice Service. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed a key funding programme designed to help people access debt advice earlier and more easily will continue into 2026-27, following strong early results across all 11 council areas in Northern Ireland. The Integrated Advice

(L-R): Dr Conor Gorman, Dr Eimear McLaverty, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Dr Joe Devlin at Glengormley Practice. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has praised the growing role of primary care elective services in tackling hospital waiting lists, describing the impact on patients as “life changing” following a visit to a leading GP practice. During a visit to Glengormley Practice, the Minister saw first-hand how GPs are helping to reduce pressure on secondary care by treating p

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and DAERA Minister Andrew Muir pictured with Firefighter Ray Glynn, Assistant Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Marcus Wright, Watch Commander Michaela Corr and Crew Commander Sheena McKieverigan from NIFRS. A major emergency response has been triggered across Northern Ireland after a series of wildfires tore through the Mourne Mountains and other areas, destroying vast stretches of land, threatening homes and placing intense pressure on frontline servi

Minister Liz Kimmins is pictured with some of the DFI’s road crews who have made 10,000 repairs to the road network over the last eight weeks. Road crews across Northern Ireland have completed 10,000 repairs in just eight weeks, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has revealed, as efforts intensify to tackle widespread road damage following severe winter weather. The scale of the work comes after what the Minister described as “well documented” deterioration across the road n

Inset: North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston Mounting pressure on NHS dentistry in North Antrim has been laid bare in the Assembly, with warnings that the system is no longer sustainable and is being steadily replaced by private provision. Speaking during a debate this week, North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston said the current situation goes far beyond access issues, describing it as a structural failure that is already reshaping how dental care is delivered across communities includin

Minister Mike Nesbitt with the Public Health Agency Partnership and Engagement team at the ‘This is our health’ roadshow on Wednesday morning. A major new public engagement programme aimed at reshaping how health and social care operates in Northern Ireland has been launched, with people being asked to directly influence what services should provide — and what role individuals themselves can play in protecting them. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt formally launched the large-sca

A sweeping new law designed to phase out smoking among future generations has been enacted, marking what health leaders and charities describe as a decisive shift towards prevention and long-term public health protection in Northern Ireland. The Tobacco and Vapes Act, which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009—creating what has been described as the UK’s first “smoke-free generation”. T

Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins at a press conference in Police Headquarters A devastating weekend on Northern Ireland’s roads has left five people dead in the space of just 24 hours, pushing this year’s total fatalities to 29—more than double the figure recorded at the same stage in 2025. The stark rise has prompted an urgent joint appeal from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins, who w

CGI of new buildings for Dunclug College, Ballymena A major new school building for Dunclug College has taken a decisive step forward, with confirmation today, Wednesday 29 April, it will now progress to construction as part of a multi-million-pound investment programme—delivering long-awaited transformation for pupils, staff and the wider Ballymena community. Education Minister Paul Givan has announced that Dunclug College is among four major works projects across Northern I

Poultry keepers across Northern Ireland will be allowed to let their birds outside again from next week, after Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir confirmed the lifting of compulsory housing measures introduced to curb the spread of avian influenza. The restrictions, which have been in place since 6 November 2025, will be lifted from 00:01 on Tuesday 5 May 2026, marking a significant shift in disease control measures following months of heightened vigilance across the sector. Th

Autistic people and families across Northern Ireland are still not seeing consistent, reliable support in their daily lives despite more than a decade of legislation and successive government strategies, a landmark independent report has found — warning that a persistent gap between policy and reality continues to drive delay, fragmentation and distress for autistic people and their families. The first Annual Report from the Independent Autism Reviewer, covering the period fr

Fire crews are set to remain on the ground in the Mourne Mountains throughout the week as Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed around 95 firefighters are tackling ongoing wildfires — with a government minister warning the destruction is “soul destroying” and poses a real risk to lives and communities. The large-scale emergency response continues to focus on two major incidents at Ballagh Road in Newcastle and Sandbank Road in Hilltown, where fires that i

Committee for Communities Chair, Colm Gildernew MLA Homelessness services across Northern Ireland are under escalating strain, with frontline providers warning that some essential support programmes could become unviable within the current financial year without urgent government intervention. A stark new report from the Committee for Communities, reinforced by detailed findings from an Assembly committee inquiry into homelessness and the Supporting People Programme, lays bar

SDLP MLA for East Londonderry Cara Hunter Growing cross-sector backlash as Children’s Law Centre and 14 organisations raise concerns over impact on vulnerable pupils, schools and families Mounting opposition to proposed special educational needs (SEN) reforms has intensified, with SDLP MLA Cara Hunter calling on the Education Minister to immediately halt the plans amid warnings they could place already overstretched schools under further strain and negatively impact vulnerabl

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt with kinship carers. L-R Ruth McGuigan; Scot Hamilton; Anita Montgomery; Thomas Spence; Tracey McGuire; Brenda Slowey; Health Minister Mike Nesbitt; Kerrylee Weatherall, Interim Executive Director of Social Work. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has paid tribute to the “compassion and commitment” of kinship foster carers as Northern Ireland marks its first dedicated Kinship Care Celebration Week, shining a spotlight on the thousands of relatives and f

Northern Ireland’s emergency departments have recorded their worst waiting times ever, with senior clinicians warning that lives are at risk unless urgent action is taken to address a deepening crisis across the health system. New figures covering January to March 2026 reveal a dramatic deterioration in performance, with patients facing unprecedented delays for treatment, admission, or discharge. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has issued a stark warning to the

Emergency departments across Northern Ireland are facing escalating strain, with new Department of Health figures confirming rising demand, worsening waiting time performance, and a sharp increase in the number of patients enduring extreme delays — with the Northern Trust area, including Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital, firmly at the centre of the pressure. The latest statistics, covering January to March 2026, show only 40.2% of patients were treated, discharged o

Northern Ireland’s defence sector is set for a major expansion following the launch of a £50 million Defence Growth Deal, aimed at boosting start-ups, strengthening supply chains and creating highly-skilled jobs across the region. The investment, announced by the UK Government, is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and emerging defence technology companies break into the defence supply chain, while accelerating innovation and long-term economic growth.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir announce £8.32m to transform 243 community facilities across Northern Ireland. A major £8.32 million funding package has been confirmed to upgrade 243 community buildings across Northern Ireland, with projects set to begin rolling out from May 2026 following overwhelming demand from local groups. The investment, delivered through the Northern Ireland Community Infrastruct

Patients struggling to access NHS dental care in Northern Ireland are set to see immediate improvements after Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announced an £8 million funding package aimed at stabilising services, expanding the workforce, and easing pressure on emergency departments. The investment, confirmed today, targets some of the most persistent pressures facing general dental services — from workforce shortages to reduced patient access — while longer-term structural refor